The New Clans: Hawk's Journey (Discontinued for Now)
by yeecat
Summary: A young she-cat lives as a loner outside the forest, with no interest of the four warrior Clans who roam it. Then RainClan invade her family and friend's temporary camp, resulting in the death of a brave cat. Her enemies are rising, and she must, too- or everyone she cares about will die. (originally written by me on Fastpencil) Don't like it, don't read.
1. Alliances and Prologue

_COURAGOUS  
_ _ **LEAFCLAN**_ _  
DETERMINED_

 _About half SkyClan, half ThunderClan  
leader: Scarsun: massive, golden-brown tabby tom with long, jagged stripes like old scars and torn ears, unusual pale blue eyes. (Scarshadow)_

 _deputy: Fireleaf: orange tabby she-cat with amber eyes and white-splashed chest._

 _medicine cat: Sandwhisker: small, very light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes_

 _warriors:  
Crowwing: sleek black tom with amber eyes_

 _Bramblestripe: large brown tabby tom with amber eyes._

 _Grayfern: light grey tabby she-cat with bright green eyes._

 _Apprentice, Spottedpaw_

 _Oakclaw: big golden-brown tabby tom with amber eyes._

 _Redfoot: ginger tabby tom with darker paws and green eyes._

 _Nightfrost: black and white she-cat with green eyes._

 _Twigstripe: skinny brown tabby tom with yellow eyes_

 _Sycamoreleaf: small light brown tabby tom with clear amber eyes._

 _Rowanberry: light brown tabby she-cat with unusual calico patches and green eyes._

 _Roseheart: ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes_

 _Acornspots: ticked brown tabby tom with green eyes._

 _Ravenflight: soft-furred black she-cat with amber eyes._

 _Flamestorm: orange tabby she-cat with yellow eyes_

 _Apprentice:_

 _Spottedpaw: small calico she-cat with golden eyes and cream-smudged chest._

 _Queens:_

 _Applecloud: mottled brown-and-ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes, mother of Aspenkit(white tom) and Brightkit(ginger and white she-cat)_

 _Elders:_

 _Cloudflight: skinny pale gray and white tom with blue eyes_

 _Palefoot: gray tom with white paws._

 _Speckleheart: small calico she-cat with golden eyes._

 _Kind_

 ** _BREEZECLAN_**

 _Understanding_

 _Almost completly WindClan, a little of SkyClan and ThunderClan_

 _Leader: Runningsun: slender, light brown tabby she-cat, long legs and tail, white paws, emerald-green eyes. (Runningbreeze)_

 _Deputy: Russetfeather: thin, dark ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes._

 _Medicine cat: Featherstep: small beatiful silver tabby she-c_ _at with sky blue eyes and white-splashed chest_

 _Warriors:_

 _Starshine: silver tabby she-cat with white flash on chest and blue-green eyes._

 _Redflight: lithe ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes_

 _Rabbitleap: skinny gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes_

 _Gorsepool: small light gray and white she-cat with blue eyes_

 _Dovesong: pale gray she-cat with blue eyes_

 _Slatestripe: dark gray tabby tom with blue eyes_

 _Blacktail: large dark gray tom with long, black tail, and yellow eyes._

 _Apprentice, Stonepaw(light gray tabby tom, blue eyes, one white paw)_

 _Windheart: small, slender calico she-cat with emerald green eyes._

 _Icepelt: skinny white tom_

 _Moorbreeze: wiry light brown she-cat with white chest and paws._

 _Meadowcloud: willowy light brown and white she-cat with green eyes._

 _Queens_ :

 _Ashspeck: pale gray she-cat with dark flecks and white paws, blue eyes, mother of Stonepaw(first litter) and expecting another litter, fathered by Slatestripe._

 _Elders:_

 _Twigleap: very scrawny, scruffy light brown tom with pale underbelly and green eyes._

 _Grasscloud: thin light brown and white she-cat with green eyes._

 _Bold_

 _ **FangClan**_

 _Clever_

 _Most like ShadowClan, a bit of ThunderClan and rogue_

 _Leader: Wolfsun: sleek black and white she-cat with amber eyes. (Wolffrost)_

 _Deputy: Blackthorn: huge, jet-black tom with yellow eyes_

 _Medicine cat: Lightrose: beatiful ginger and white she-cat_

 _Warriors:_

 _Deadclaw: scraggy dark brown tabby tom with a twisted paw_

 _Clawnose: battle-scarred black tom_

 _Shadowwhisper: black tabby she-cat with wide green eyes._

 _Browntail: pale brown tom_

 _Nightfang: dark gray tom with unusualy long, sharp teeth_

 _Alderclaw: brown tabby tom_

 _Thymewhisker: tortioseshell she-cat_

 _Owlswoop: brown and black tom_

 _Thistlepelt: gray-and-white she-cat_

 _Elders:_

 _Tigerslash: massive, dark tabby tom_

 _Mudthistle: small brown and white tom_

 _Fierce_

 _ **RainClan**_

 _Unforgiving_

 _Almost all Riverclan with a small touch of ShadowClan and rogue_

 _leader: Ripplesun: plump, very dark brown tabby tom with mean yellow eyes._

 _deputy: Fishheart: stout gray tom_

 _medicine cat: Rockfur: large black tom_

 _warriors:_

 _Minnowface: stocky dark gray tom_

 _Ratbreath: massive gray tabby tom_

 _Toadnose: fat, ugly black-and-dark gray tom_

 _Waterclaw: husky black tom_

 _Darkheart: evil, fat, picth-black tom_

 _Cats Outside the Clans: Loners/Rogues_

 _Silver: pretty, semi-long-haired silver tabby she-cat with light amber eyes, Hawk's mom_

 _Mole: gray and white tom with dark blue eyes_

 _Hawk: semi-long-haired tortioseshell she-cat with amber eyes, mostly black with ginger muzzle, chest, paws, and tail-tip._

 _Frost: small white tom with blue eyes._

 _Lizard: brown tabby tom(Twolegplace rogue)_

 _Claw: broad-shouldered black tom_ _(Twolegplace rogue)_

_Night: black she-cat(Twolegplace rogue)_

 _The mostly stuff mean mostly descended from that Clan._

 **Prologue**

 _A huge brown tabby tom stalked through_ the forest. Two smaller cats, both she-cats, followed him, looking distrested. One of the she-cats, the smallest, mewed, "There's no prey here, Bramblestripe. Let's go."

Bramblestripe shook his head, amber eyes narrowed. "There's something else," he hissed, "the scent of an intruder!"

The small calico who had spoken sniffed the air. Her fur bristled with excitement. "It's RainClan! I wanna fight!" She had never fought the vicous cats who dewled on the riversides, but she knew they were fierce and savage-unlike LeafClan, who were brave and far nobler.

"No," meowed the other she-cat, a slender gray tabby, pulling the young cat close with her tail. "We need-"

"Wait." The brown tabby interupted, stepping foward. "It's only Waterclaw and Ratbreath. Ripplesun, Darkheart, and Fishheart aren't here." The she-cat looked a little relieved, but it was clear she still thought the young apprentice shouldn't fight. After all, it would be the calico's first battle; only skilled warriors like Bramblestripe and the silver cat fought RainClan, even if it was dumb RainClan fleabags.

"Your first fight has to come sometime," meowed Bramblestripe, "She's seven moons, now, Grayfern. Spottedpaw can fight."

Grayfern frowned, but before she could reply, the leafClan patrol heard voices. "Ouch!" a cat with a deep voice complianed, " I stepped on a thron!"

"Shut up, Ratbreath!" spat an even deeper voice. "Do you _want_ to get caught, fish-brain?"

"Apparently they do," Bramblestripe muttered scornfully. "They never were bright. Come on, let's find those RainClan thieves." Spottedpaw's golden eyes widened; the young tortioseshell, white, and cream apprentice was obviously anticipating defending her Clan's territory.

Bramblestripe led the way, his broad, powerful body pushed through the ferns and bushes. A plump black cat with fur that was so dark and glossy it looked wet even though it wasn't, was squeezing between two trees as if chasing a squirrel or rabbit that had already passed through; a narrow space that still even a muscular cat like Bramblestripe could easily pad through. The RainClan tom's low, buldging belly, turned huge from the endless fish in the river and streams, was not allowing him to pass. Not far away, a fat gray tom swaggered around as if padding into his camp, carried a squirrel and thrush. His yellow eyes shone with arrogance.

"Tresspassing thieves!" yowled Bramblestripe, springing foward.

The stocky RainClan cats glared at each other as if to say _this is all your fault!_ Then the larger one, the sleek gray tom, stepped foward. "Got a problem with that?" he sneered, rasining his muzzle. The black tom sniggered, yellow eyes filled with contempt at LeafClan, as he squirmed out and next to his large Clanmate.

"yes," Bramblestripe snarled, angry at the RainClan cats' arrogance. "Attack!"

Both Waterclaw, the black tom, and Ratbreath, the gray warrior, looked shocked. Their confidence and scorn faded like mist on a hot greenleaf day. The LeafClan warriors surged foward. Spottedpaw followed Grayfern as her mentor went to attack Ratbreath. Yellow eyes wide with terror, the cowardly, fat tom scrambled away, his belly so low it brushed against the shorter grass. Ratbreath grabbed his prey.

"Oh,no, you don't!" growled Grayfern. She shot foward, and, confused but exciteded, Spottedpaw followed.

Waterclaw bared his teeth defiantly. Bramblestripe dodged the dark RainClan warrior's hefty blow and bit his paw while it flailed in the air. His overwieght opponet winced but split open Bramblestripe's nose with his other sharp claws. The tabby hissed and pulled back, his and Waterclaw's blood dripping from his muzzle. Bramblestripe readied himself to leap again.

Spottedpaw's legs slapped the earth as she jumped. Though her legs were still short, they held the leaping power of LeafClan, and she landed on Ratbreath's broad shoulders. Grayfern cut off the RainClan theif's path, her claws unsheathed and teeth bared.

"Drop the prey!" the gray tabby ordered sharply.

Ratbreath's yellow glare hardened. "Never!" he spat around the fur and feathers.

"It's not yours." Grayfern's commanding growl startled Spottedpaw; she had never seen her mentor so worked up. Then again, prey was becoming scarce; she wouldn't want a good amount of food to go to a RainClan prey-stealer.

"I caught it," he retorted, his mew filled with sneering contempt.

"It was on our territory!" protested Spottedpaw. Grayfern looked her int he eye; it was a clear message. Spottedpaw's claws slid out into Ratbreath's long, thick gray fur and Grayfern raked the RainClan tom's muzzle.

"Okay!" he cried. "You have it! We don't need your scrawny prey; we have fat versions of these and fish!" Ratbreath dropped the fresh-kill and raced away.

Spottedpaw and Grayfern shared a vicitorious glance, then sped through the forest to help Bramblestripe fend off Waterclaw.

Bramblestripe lunged for Waterclaw's hind leg. He grabbed it in his jaws and yanked the leg up, causing the RainClan warrior to fall dwon. Quick as the wind, Bramblestripe clawed his enemy's fat, fluffy belly. Rage blazed in Waterclaw's expresion and he flailed his claws. Pain amde the RainClan cat inaccurate. Two lithe shapes fell on Waterclaw as well.

"Your minnow-hearted Clanmate has run away," growled Grayfern, "Will _you?"_

"I'm not a coward!" spat Waterclaw. "I'll die fighting you if I must, but I won't be joining SunClan(the place a dead cat's spirit goes to) alone!"

"If you say so," meowed Bramblestripe slyly. He rasied a paw, claws glinting in the sunlight filtered from the trees above. Blood glistentened at the tip. Waterclaw looked terrified, and ran off, belly fur brushing the ground.

"That was very clever," Grayfern purred, licking blood off her now-matted gray tabby pelt. Spottedpaw's golden eyes were bright with the excitement of battle.

"Let's go home," Bramblestripe mewed, "Scarsun will want to know that RainClan stole our prey."

"Yeah, even though we totally beat them!" Spottedpaw chirped, dancing on her small white paws.

"They were stupid cowards," Bramblestripe scoffed. His mew hardened. "But there are horrible, vicious cats in RainClan, too. What if a dangerous cats steals our prey and we have to fight them?"

Spottedpaw frowned.

"So we have to be ready for strong, wily, bold RainClan cats to attack us," Grayfern explained, "come on, let's go home."

Night was falling in the forest. LeafClan cats finished sharing tongues and prey and one by one, going to sleep.

Yet one cat-a slender silver tabby-stayed awake. She had to speak with her leader. A giant golden brown tabby tom slid out from a thick bundle of brush . "Hello, Grayleaf," he meowed, bounding up to her.

Grayfern blinked at her leader. "This was the first time in moons that our enemies have dared to cause trouble," she began.

"But you won," Scarsun meowed. He licked a paw and drew it over a torn ear.

"So? What if they invade again? We lost prey this time, and it was hardly a fight." Grayfern pointed out sharply, narrowing her eyes. "Cats were injured. Warriors could _die_ next time, Scarsun!"

Scarsun nodded. "You're right, but what can I do about it? There hasn't been enough trouble for an honorable leader to attack back. Besides, we don't have the warriors to raid RainClan. We barely have enough to defend ourselves from them!"

"Then we should get more cats," Grayfern lashed her tail, hardly thinking as she spat out the words.

"Are you suggesting we take in outsiders?" meowed Scarsun. He pricked his ears and his eyes lit up with intrest.

"I don't even know anymore!" Grayfern cried, turning and speeding off into her den.

Scarsun looked up. SunClan had droped into the earth like they did every night, but the sky was lit up with stars. Did SunClan wacth over the forest at night like they did at day? "Can you hear me, Willowfrost, Splashsun?" he whispered softly. "Are you still wacthing over LeafClan?"


	2. Intruder

**Chapter One**

 _A tortoiseshell she-cat leapt over a fallen_ log, her hazel eyes shinning. "Mama! Mama!" she mewed.

Out from a large crack a silver queen slid out. "What is it, Hawk?" she asked.

"Icaughtahugeaquirrel!" Hawk was too excited to speak properly. She pushed foward a plump gray-brown lump of fur with her orange paw.

"It's pretty big," her mother said, "Now lets eat it." The gray shecat bent over to chew up the joined her and soon they finished it.

"Now what do we do?" Hawk asked. She licked her belly fluff.

"Why don't you go find Frost?" the silver cat crawled back into the crack. "All I want to do right now is sleep." Hawk narrowed her eyes, then started to bounce up and down.

"I wanna sleep too!" she declared. The pale gray queen frowned and shook her head.

"Go and explore," she meowed sharply. The silver tabby's head disappeared back into tree trunk.

Hawk turned and padded off. There was a large rock at the side of their camp. On the other side was another loner named Frost and his parents, Mole and Twig. They were nice for the most part. Hawk and Frost were good friends; whenever their parents didn't want them around, they went to each other and practiced hunting and battle moves. "Hey, Frost," she called. There was no answer. "Frost?" Still no answer.

 _He's probally off with his parents, hunting or something,_ Hawk thought glumly. Oh, well. Playing with Frost was not the only thing she could do. She streched luxiourously, her claw tips cacthing the grass, then stood up. _What to do, what to do..._ Hawk walked around camp. Then she padded out. A fern a few tail-lenghts away rsutled, and she tensed her muscles, keeping her amber stare on the plant. A mouse nose poked out from under a few leaves. The tortioseshell crept closer, the mouse twicthed its nose, and she pounced!

The excitement of hunting coursed through Hawk. She swung out a ginger paw and her fully unsheathed claws scraped the mouse's hindquaters. That slowed it down a little, and she spead up. Then Hawk jumped again, this time landing directly on the mouse. She picked it up.

"Hello!" Frost chirped. The thin white Tom took his thrush to her. "Wanna share?" He gnawed on his prey. "Nicecacth," he added kindly.

"Thanks," purred Hawk. She kneaded the grass. She hadn't seen Frost get the thrush, but it was plump. "You, too," she mewed nervously. "Um. I better clear out the prey spot."

Hawk laid down in the grass and gulped down the mouse. The squirrel from earlier had filled her up pretty good, so she only ate about half the mouse. Frost wacthed with bright blue eyes,staying back, in the center of the camp. She carried the rest to a hole at the edge of camp, where a rotting vole, forgotten by Hawk and her mom, lay. Hawk put the mouse next to the crow food and tentivly picked up the moldy prey with one claw and tossed it into the bushes. She streched. "I'm going to head out," Hawk told him. "When Silver wakes up, let her know."

"'Kay," Frost mumbled.

Several fox-lenghts from camp, Hawk caught a strange, rancid stench. A dark shadow fell down beside Hawk. The tortioseshell loner arched her back and spun around. "Who are you?" she hissed, trying to sound treathening.

The cat was massive, nearly twice the size of Hawk, and extremly fat. He was a dark brown tabby with mean yellow eyes. Pulling back his lips in a terrifying snarl, the tabby circled Hawk. The breath caught in her throat, and at last Hawk gasped, trying to sound brave. "Who are you?"

"Aw, what a big,strong kit," the dark brown tom snarled mockingly. The huge cat slid his claws out and scanned the area with narrowed orange eyes. Silver was still asleep, and besides, she was several fox-lenghts from camp.

 _He planned this attack,_ Hawk realized. How perfect for him, a five moon old kit, far from camp, with her mother sleeping and friends away. She bristled and arched her back. The stocky tom turned and looked directly at her. Hawk glared back, and he raised his nose with a snort.

"You know how close you are to my territory?" he meowed. His voice was sinister and icy. The huge, dark brown tabby sliced a stalk of grass in half, top to bottom.

"What do you mean?" Hawk asked. The slender tortiseshell tilted her head.

"I live very close," he growled, pawing the grass."You shouldn't be here. We don't like trespassers." The big tabby clawed a huge clump of grass and dirt and tossed it away.

"Trespassers?" Hawk echoed, trying to sound skeptical and not scared.

He scowled. "Yes. Trespassers." Hawk frowned. Maybe he was warning her to stay off his territory. But why go all the way over here? Hawk, Silver, Frost, and Mole had never crossed into another cat's land, at least not in many moons.

"You're trespassing right now," Hawk pointed out.

She regretted it instantly.

The fat dark tom snarled, so low and savage it was like a lion's roar from Mole's stories. " _I'm_ trespassing?" he demanded, amber eyes rolling wildly. "You frog-faced fox hearted pile of fish dung!" he cursed. Hawk sank back.

"Ripplesun?!" Hawk spun around. Her mother was coming up behind her. "Why are _you here?"_ She sounded more scared and wary than hostile.

"Oh, Silver." Ripplesun's red-Orange glare hardened, burning like fire. "The traitor. You aren't dead?" He asked, his growl sinister. "What a pity. Well. You'll be dead soon enough."

"She's no traitor!" Hawk protested.

Ripplesun hissed. " You don't know your mother."

Ooh dramatic! What did Silver do?

The next chapter is really sad. If you don't read it, read my note at the bottom. Which will also be sad, but you need to know what happens for later chapters.


	3. The Battle

Hawk bristled as the dark brown tabby padded closer, his round belly so low it brushed the grass. "Be quiet," hissed Silver, "Whatever I have done is nothing compared to your crimes!"

Ripplesun flicked his whiskers. "I suppose so... But Wolfsun wants you, and she'll do anything to have you dead."

Silver tensed. Hawk lashed her tail. Why was Ripplesun treatening her like this? _Stupid furball, he shouldn't even be here,_ she thought.

"Get out," Silver spat to the malicious tabby.

Ripplesun's claws slid out and his yellow eyes gleamed. Hawk felt nervous and sick. _He's going to do something...and it wont be fun for us._ "RainClan, ATTACK!" yowled Ripplesun.

Four more cats, all plump, muscular and sleek stalked out. Their yellow and gold eyes glinted dangerously. Hawk glared at them defiantly, but instead she was terrified. RainClan were the most dangerous warrior Clan, according to Silver.

 _"You don't know your mother."_

 _Of course I do! Does Ripplesun think he knows my own mother better than me?_

 _"_ Hey!" Frost sprang on one of the RainClan cats, a heavy, plump, hideous black tom. "Get outta here!"

The ugly RainClan cat spat and shoved down Frost. Blood sprayed all over as he attacked Frost vicously.

Hawk leapt at the fat warrior, knocking him off Frost. She showed her teeth. Another cat, a plump dark gray tom slashed Hawk. His claws hit his head, so hard so nearly collasped with pain. Hawk fet dizzy. The RainClan cat savaged her tail.

She tore her tail away from his thorn-sharp fangs, spitting and hissing with fury. Hawk's head spun. Claws raked her sides but she was hardly aware.

Again the gray RainClan tom smacked Hawk's head. She felt sick. Darkness curled around the edges of her vision, spreading quickly. The ground rose up to meet Hawk very suddenly.

When Hawk woke up it was to te feeling of claws tugging her haunches. Grass and dirt scrapped against her chest. "She's awake?" The cat sounded surprised. "I thought Minnowface had killed her."

 _Well, you're out of luck!_

She was dropped, and Hawk leapt up instantly as the RainClan warrior let go. Hawk snarled. The slender tortiseshell surveyed the land RainClan had brought her to. It was a semi marsh, with muddy, grassy ground and a narrow stream. There were tall weeds and a few small puddles. But the marsh was not large. Fairly close by was a forest.

Ripplesun was wacthing her with mockingly curious yellow eyes. "Well, fiesty aren't you?"

"Where are Silver and Frost?" Hawk demanded. She worried for Mole, too, but doubted that Ripplesun knew him. If he had done something bad to Frost and Hawk's mother, then knowledge of another loner would put Mole into mortal danger.

"They're were we found you," Ripplesun meowed briskly. He said 'found you' as if he had just wandered up and let Hawk come to this place instead of invading and attacking an innocent group of loners and kidnapping Hawk. "Welcome to RainClan, prsioner," he sneered.

Hawk bristled, showing her teeth. "Ooh," snorted a fat, ugly black and white tom, "fiesty"

 _I need to escape!_

 _*oh no death death painful fiery death evil laugh die my OCs*_

 _maybe somebody will..._


	4. Prisoner

A/N: I purposefully gave the RainClan cats names I don't really like, for the most part

"Battle practice!"

Hawk looked up at Ripplesun's voice. The fat dark tabby was calling his clan together.

"Icypaw." A sleek white she-cat stepped foward. "Hisspaw." A stout dark brown tom. "And Salmonpaw." A very fat gray tom. "You will fight our prisoner. I will step in when it is necessary. Begin!"

All three young RainClan cats, each a few moons older than Hawk, sprang at her. She let out a yowl of terror. Icypaw grapped Hawk's tail and began mauling it, while Hissypaw slashed Hawk's face again and again, and Salmonpaw ripped at her soft belly fur.

With a hiss of fury Hawk lashed out with her back paws, conecting with Icypaw's fat face and barely missing the malevolent yellow eyes. Hissypaw sprang back, with, and no surpirse, and angry hiss. Hawk whisked around and lashed out at Salmon- paw, who whimpered. Then Icypaw and Hisspaw joined up to attack Hawk wildly, a mess of fierce claws and teeth.

Blood splashed under Hawk's ginger paws, turnng them crimson. The three Rainclan cats circled Hawk, their belies brushing the grass and yellow and red-orange eyes full of haterd, Ripplesun sat back, looking pleased as again and again the older, heavier cats attacked Hawk.

Hisspaw suddenly struck foward, surprisingly fast for a cat so fat. His claws tore through the thin skin in Hawk's ears. Salmonpaw hauled himself on Hawk's back and tried to snap her neck, but the skinny tortioseshell writhed around, trying not knock the painfully heay tom off. Icypaw slashed Hawk's narrow flank, then ordered Salmonpaw in a nasty snarl to murder hawk already.

"Stop," Ripplesun growled, stalking foward with his massive stomach brushing the ground. He smiled cruelly. "We can't kill her yet. Or you won't have a prey to fight later. Then maybe. It'll depend on wheter we will attack the rogues again tommorrow."

Hawk wacthed enviously as the three padded off to a stocky black tom to be healed. She was injured much worse, but of course rainclan didn't care about their "prey". "Is this all I am to you?" she demanded to Ripplesun. "Training practice?"

"Oh, definitly not," he purred nastily. "I can use you as a bargining chip. Wolfsun would give a lot for the daughter of Silver. And your minnow-brained mother will do anything to get you back, even give herself up to Wolfsun and let me have the reward."

"You're diabolical," Hawk choked out, horrified and furious. She slid out her claws, tearing the dew-dappled grass.

"Maybe." Ripplestar held out a paw and exaimed his claws, licking blood off of them and pulling out pieces of grass. "Too bad for you, then."

 _Mange-pelt!_ Hawk bristled. "What will you do with me now? Your cats are done training."

"So, then, Fishheart, Waterclaw, get your sorry pelts over here," Ripplesun snarled. Two dark-furred toms padded over, bellies brushing the grass. "Wacth this scrawny kit. At midnight, get Ratbreath and Toadnose to do it until dawn. Then we'll go back to the rouges. But the four of you will stay here when we're gone. Tell Ratbreath and Toadnose all that."

"Yes, Ripplesun," Fishheart, the tom with lighter gray fur, meowed. Waterclaw, the tom swith darker black fur, nodded, orange eyes hard.

It was dusk now. Hawk wacthed the Rainclan cats eat from a massive heap of prey, which they called the "fresh-kill hoard", and that was definitly true. There was enough for all the cats to have twice as much as they actually needed, and some, like Ripplesun, had three times. _That explaines why they're all so_ _ **fat!**_ __The massive territory of RainClan-marsh, forest, hills and rivers and riverside-was clearly full of prey.

Unsurpriningly, despite the giant prey hoard, Hawk was not fed even a tiny bit of mouse. _Rainclan can certainly supply it!_

When Hawk woke up, Waterclaw and Fishheart were nowhere to be seen. _How long was I asleep?_ It was dark, around midnight. Hawk sturggled to her orange paws. The injuries the young RainClna cats had given her early still stung. A fat, ugly black face with a white muzzle and savage amber eyes, glared at her. Hawk leapt back, gasping. A massive gray tabby tom laughed mockingly behind her.

Hawk bared her teeth at the toms. They sneered at her. She huffed and curled back down, trying to sleep. The Rainclan warriors circled her, hissing and snorting. _I wonder what ahppend to Silver and Frost and Mole,_ Hawk thought.

After a while she fell asleep again.

The next time Hawk opened her amber eyes, it was still dark. She heard snores behind her, and spun around. The RainClan cats were asleep! Hawk sprang to her paws and gave a sharp meow. There was no response.

 _I can get out of here!_

Hawk darted across thhe RainClan camp. She leapt over a stream that weaved through it. There were two dens on this side. _Clan cats take care of the old and weak. How weird! But do Rainclan? Do they care enough?_

She made it safely out of camp. The black night skyt began to fade to a deep purple. _I need tgo hurry!_ Hawk ran across the marshes, her orange paws soon dark brown from mud. She streaked over hills and jumped over streams. A pond loomed before her as the sky became paler and fog began to spread over the grass and reeds.

The skinny tortiosshell rogue paced at the bank of the pond. It was too deep for her to wade through, and the other sides were far. Hawk glanced up at the gray light of the rising dawn. She lashed her long, mud-streaked tail, and ran along the side of the pond.

Mud splattered Hawk's legs as she slipped. With an institive yelp of shock, Hawk fell into the shallows of the pond. Her fur was waterlodged within seconds, dragging her down. It was just shallow enough for her to stand. Hawk scrambled on the slippery mud and hulled herself into a reed bed.

 _The sun will be any minuete now!_ She needed to hurry! The RainClan cats would wake up and hunt her down.

Hawk sprinted the territory. At least rogue land was in sight. She crossed the border and the first ray of the sun poked over the horizion.

A pale gray cat was padding only a few tail-lenghts from Hawk. "Silver!" she cried joyfully.

Her mother raced over. "We need to leave," she hissed. "Frost is dead."

The news was sudden and harsh. Hawk's muddy legs wobbled. "Dead?" she choke dout.

"Ripplesun killed him after knoicking you out," Silver meowed. "Mole is at Twolegplace, trying to see if there's any groups we can join. Come on; we need to move quickly."

Hawk's lungs and legs disapproved of Silver's plan. She was tired and wanted to sleep, but began the swift journey to Twolegplace.


	5. Twolegplace

_Hawk stared up at a stone wall._ "The Twolegplace border," Silver meowed. She crouched down, then leapt onto the top. "Mole!" She turned back to Hawk. "Come on."

Her muscles screaming, Hawk joined Silver on the edge of Twolegplace. Mole's gray and white pelt slid out from behind a tall, shiny stump. "Some cat called Lizard is accepting new members for his group," Mole announced.

"Let's go, then," Silver jumped down from the stone wall, and Hawk followed. The sun had risen just above the horizon. Mole lead the way to a dark Alley.

A brown tabby sat at the edge of the alley, his amber eyes luminous. "Welcome," he rumbled. "I am Lizard." Two jet black cats slid up, one on either side of him. "The she-cat is Night, and the tom is Claw."

"We'll bring you to our base," Claw hissed.

"Which of you is the leader?" asked Night, the tip of her long tail flicking.

Silver and Mole exchanged a nervous glance. _They're the full-grown cats. It could be either._

 _"Well?"_ Lizard sounded impatient. "Who?"

"I am," meowed Silver at last. Mole's shoulders twitched.

"Come then," Claw turned around, flashing an unfriendly glance at Hawk. She stiffened and glared back.

"Don't," murmured Silver. "These cats are letting strangers in. We must be grateful for their hospitality."

 _Seems more like hostility,_ Hawk thought, flattening her ears and turning away from Claw. Night slunk up to her with mischievous green eyes.

"Don't worry about my brother. He's just grumpy he has to share his prey," Night purred. She seemed friendly.

"He's your _brother?!"_ Hawk exclaimed. The only similarity of the two cats was their black fur. "Are you from different litters?"

"Nope, littermates," Night sighed softly.

"We're here," growled Claw. "We haven't made nests for you yet, so you'll have to sleep on the ground." He flexed his claws. "Lizard told us to take half of you to hunt. We didn't think there would be three cats. Kit, Follower, we'll go."

Hawk bushed up her tail and glared at the Twolegplace rouge. She flexed her claws. _He wants me to attack him! Oh,_ she realized, _of course. If I attack him, they'll have full right to drive me out, and Claw knows Silver and Mole will follow me._


End file.
